Institutional Child Abuse Week

The week of April 18-22 is Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) week--a state sanctioned "child abuse week."  The WASL has no scholastic merit of note. 
However, this letter is written to parents and guardians of children who do take the WASL to examine your child's actual test booklets.  If you are not allowed to view your child's WASL the day it is taken and again when it is corrected in October, then your civil rights are being violated.
Supporting the above is the memorandum from the U. S. Department of Education's Family Policy Compliance Office relating to parent's rights to have access to test protocols.  On October 2, 1997, LeRoy S. Rooker, Director, Family Policy Compliance Office issued a memorandum titled: "Access to test protocols and test answer sheets."  In part he cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) stating: "FERPA is a Federal law which affords parents the right to have access to their children's education records . . . ."  In sum Mr. Rooker noted that a parent has the right under FERPA to examine both the test question booklet and the child's test answer sheet.  You may access the full document at the following URL:
http://www.fetaweb.com/04/ferpa.rooker.ltr.protocols.htm

If any public school official denies you the right to view your child's WASL immediately call the US Office of Civil Rights.  Do not sit back and allow your precious children to be psychologically trampled by advocates of a mindless test.

Respectfully submitted,

Donald C. Orlich